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stefansson-wrangel-09-20-089-001
Dear Mr. Stefansson: ;
I will give you my opinion of Fred's letter . . . . . My opinion of Fred's letter to his wife and the other evidence is that Fred did not want to leave the island and that Knight and Crawford insisted and brought forward the argument about the shortage of food and he was persuaded to go with that reason. . . . No doubt he also felt that the two young men [ Crawford and Galle ] needed some one with experience with them to cross the ice. . . . . . . In reading Knight's diary carefully I get the opinion that Fred allowed himself to be persuaded to go for two reasons, one to protect give the benefit of his greater experience of ice travel to Crawford and Galle, and the other to leave Knight and Ada enough food.
I am sure that the boys could have caught enough game to keep alive and perhaps to have saved Knight if they had all stayed on Wrangel Island. The diary shows Knight and Crawford making arrangements to leave long before they did, only waiting for the right season, but not a word about Fred or Galle wanting to go. I don't say this to criticize Knight, for he no doubt thought it going to Nome was the best thing to do. Evidently Fred also felt sure of getting safely across to Siberia and Alaska. . . .
I have taken up with the family the question of publishing Fred's letter. We all agree that the letter itself should not be published, for it is of too private a nature.
With kindest regards,
Sincerely,
(Signed) John Maurer
Mr. V. Stefansson, Broadway and 156th Street, New York, N. Y.